The Ultimate Decision
by StarMetalRocker14
Summary: This begins in chapter 10 of Breaking Dawn. Edward asks Jacob to convince Bella to give up the baby she is about to have and then to have his own. Is he able to convince her? Read to find out :) Rated T for language. For both Team Edward and Team Jacob! :)
1. Chapter 1

"Not a stranger?" she murmured to herself. I flinched. "What exactly did Edward say to you?" she asked in a low voice.

"Nothing…" I couldn't bring myself to say it. I knew I'd just end up humiliating myself. But what if I could make her see sense? I would save her life. I found myself blurting out, "Bella… what if you and I could…" I trailed off as I saw the look on her face. She looked horrified.

"Jake, be serious! You're my friend! And besides, it's this baby that I want," she glanced down at her belly and lovingly rubbed it. I closed my eyes and tried to think of other ways to convince her. I knew this wouldn't be easy.

"Bella… Edward told me that it's not really a baby. It's some type of mutant. What you're giving birth to isn't normal-looking. It's gonna be a gross _thing_," I hated lying to her like this, but if this was what it would take to save her life… well, I'd do it, even if it meant lying through my teeth.

Bella's eyes widened to my surprise. "What? How does he even know-?"

"Because he saw one of them being born, that's why, Bells," I sounded strangled, adding to the effect. As I looked into her chocolate brown eyes, I could practically see her brain trying to make sense of this. I'd planted a seed of doubt inside of her head. She wasn't so sure she wanted this baby anymore.

"He never mentioned this before, though…" she mumbled, looking down at her hands, then at her belly, tears forming in her eyes. I sighed and took her hands on between mine, rubbing them comfortingly.

"You can ask him, if you'd like. Here, I'll call for him." This was my cue for Edward. I was talking quickly because I knew that I was winning, that I was convincing Bella of getting rid of that little monster. Bella began to protest, but Edward was in the room in a second, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Bella… I did see a baby like… ours, sweetheart. It isn't as you expect it to be," he bit out, his eyes pleading with hers as he knelt beside me. Bella gasped.

"Why didn't you mention this before, Edward!? You said that you'd never seen a couple like us-!"

"Bella, shush, don't strain yourself. I lied to you because I knew that it would scare you, and I hoped that it wouldn't be the same for you, but… it is. The baby you'll give birth to will be the ugliest thing ever. It will feast upon your blood and the blood of unsuspecting humans. It will be a blood crazed monster," Edward was so much better at lying than me. I almost believed him myself. I knew that he was only saying all of this crazy stuff to scare Bella and convince her to kill that thing before it could kill her.

Bella raised a hand to stop him from continuing. "Edward... are you sure?" she sobbed. Edward nodded.

"Yes, Bella," he said seriously.

I looked at Edward out of the corner of my eye. _I think we did it. We managed to convince her! _I said to him in my mind.

He nodded slightly without taking his eyes off Bella, the face of the burning man vanishing. In its place was a hopeful expression.

"I… I want to think about it. Can you give me time to think about it?" Bella breathed eyes boring into mine and the Edward's. Edward reached out and wiped her tears away with his stone hands before I could.

"Yes, Bella… but don't cry. It hurts to see you cry," he pleaded. Bella looked down at her pregnant belly again and then to us.

"It's just that I really want a baby! Before all of this, I never even considered it, but now I am! I really want to become a mother," she gasped out. Edward's eyes hardened at that.

"If it's a baby you want, a baby you'll get. Accept Jacob's deal, Bella. He can give you what I can't," I knew that just saying that made Edward feel like he was on fire with jealousy, and that made me respect him. _I just hope she does accept it, _I said to Edward as he read my mind.

Bella's eyes widened as they focused on mine. I spoke. "Bella… please. I love you. Marrying Edward was a mistake, and you know it. You'll never be able to start a family with him, and what's the best that he can give you, immortality? I can give you so much more, and you don't have to change for me. We can start a family, we can move to another place. We can live in the Reservation, even. Think of how happy Charlie and Billy will be. And don't deny that you don't love me back, maybe not as much as you love your bloodsucker, but enough that we can begin a life together. Edward will eventually get tired of you as you both live in eternal youth. He'll find someone else that he wants to be with and leave you. I'll never do that," I murmured persuasively. I saw Edward's jaw tighten from the corner of my eye, but he didn't object. He knew it was the only way of keeping Bella alive. Giving her up was the right decision.

Bella's eyes overflowed with tears, and I could tell that she was believing everything that I said. I could tell that she agreed with it, too. She refused to look at Edward as she answered. "Jake, give me some time, okay? Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you what I've decided. Right now I just want some time alone to think." She looked at both of us as she said this.

Edward sprung to his feet and was out the door on a second. I was slower. I bent over and kissed the top of Bella's head. "Think about it, Bells. Please. I love you," I said into her ear.

Then I was out the door, too, leaving Bella contemplative and indecisive.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does.

Bella's P.O.V.

My baby was a monster? Edward had never mentioned that. Did I really want to unleash a blood thirsty demon out there? And they had said that the baby would end up killing me that he'd be the ugliest thing to ever exist. My vision blurred with tears.

I knew what had to be done.

Edward's P.O.V.

"Thank you, Jacob. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate what you did for Bella," I said to Jacob as we stood just outside the house. Despite everything, it had still been difficult for me to hear all the things that Jacob had said to Bella. It had been almost unbearable as I saw her believe every lie that we fabricated. It had been excruciating when Jacob told her that I would soon get tired of her. Like I could ever love another girl. And I'd just stood there silently, although I wanted to object. I was finally doing what I couldn't bring myself to do a year ago. Leave her. I'd come right back like an idiot.

Jacob's eyes widened. I knew what he was thinking. "What, you're not pissed? I mean, I just told Bella that you're not gonna want her later on," he crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at me defiantly.

I looked down sadly. "What can I say? Nothing, Jacob. Only that I am grateful that you convinced her. You have her in your grasp, Jacob. I want you to take her far away when this is all over. To make her forget that I ever existed. Make her happy. Give her what I can't, that is what I am asking of you, Jacob. Make Isabella Swan happy," it hurt to let her go. I couldn't bear to think of her in another man's arms. I couldn't bear to think of her surrounded by werewolves, but it was safer for her.

_Wow. Dude's really lost it,_ Jacob thought. My head snapped up and this time I did really glare at him.

"I am completely coherent, Jacob. I think that you should go and come back tomorrow. I must go and speak to Rosalie. _She_ is going to be the hardest to back down," I snapped.

Jacob raised his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright, just take care of Bells; make sure she doesn't do anything stupid for me," Jacob's darks eyes turned serious. He was thinking that she was going to regret it and change her mind.

"Do not worry, Jacob. I will make sure that it does not happen," I assured him in a monotone.

Jacob nodded again. "Edward… thanks. I appreciate—"

"I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for her," I cut him off.

Jacob looked sheepish. "Alright, I'll come by tomorrow to see what she decides and we'll go on from there," and then he was jogging toward the woods, his shirt already off. I spotted two other wolves by the tree line. I knew they were Leah and Seth.

As I turned away, Seth spoke to me in his head. _Good luck, man. You're doing a really brave thing. I just hope it all turns out right. Be careful with Rosalie._

I nodded at the smaller wolf and gave him a small smile, knowing that he'd be able to see it from a distance. Then I entered the house, my poker face on. Inside, though, I was broken and empty.

** * This chapter was short, but I'll be updating soon. This is my first story, so please leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks :)***


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does

Bella's P.O.V.

I told Edward that I did want to lose the baby later that day. He was… happy. That much I could tell. He went to tell the others right after I told him Rosalie went crazy, but I told her that I didn't want it anymore. We all managed to back her down, and she grudgingly agreed. I could tell that she was back to hating me. Jacob was gone. He'd left because I'd told him to.

Then I couldn't stop thinking about Jake. Everything that he'd told me was right. Edward _would _get tired of me. Did I really want that? I probably wouldn't survive long enough to know if I kept the baby. But I wasn't going to. And what would happen if I stayed with Edward after? He'd change me, and then we wouldn't be able to start a family. I didn't want to be like Esme, Rosalie, and Alice, constantly yearning for a baby. I wanted a family. I really did love Edward, but… things wouldn't end up good between us. I knew it. And I loved Jacob, too. He could give me what I wanted…

Was I willing to give Edward up and leave with Jacob?

I didn't know.

Jacob's P.O.V.

"Hell yeah, Bella isn't gonna go vamp on us!" my cousin Quil Ateara hollered, bumping fists with our friend Embry.

I rolled my eyes at them. "Chill, that part's not for sure yet. Where's Sam?" I asked, looking around Emily Young's house. She was Sam's fiance, so he had to be around here somewhere.

Embry grinned, leaning against the kitchen counter. "He and Em aren't home. Your dad is, though. You should go see him. He's worried about you, Jake. Go tell him the good news. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it," Embry nodded toward the open door.

I became uncertain. I hadn't seen my dad in a long time and he'd be mighty glad to hear about Bella… "Alright, tell Sam I was here, and that I want to talk. Tell him to call me as soon as he gets home so that we can meet up."

"Sure thing, boss," Quil gave me a weird little military salute and Embry snickered.

I rolled my eyes again, stepping out into the rain. Man, these guys couldn't take anything seriously.

When I got to my dad's home, (I couldn't really call it my home anymore, could I?), I was real hesitant. I was in front of the door, debating on whether or not I should not or just come in. I was about to raise my hand to knock on the door when a surprised voice spoke behind me.

"Jacob?" It was my dad, Billy Black. I slowly turned to face my dad, looking down at him in his wheelchair. I nearly jumped when I saw who was behind the wheelchair. Charlie was staring at me, wide-eyed, his hands gripping the wheelchair's handlebars.

"Hey, dad. Charlie," I greeted them awkwardly, rubbing the nape of my neck with my hand. My dad smiled at me, his eyes crinkling around the corners.

"Jake, go inside. We can talk there. Charlie, you mind picking Sue up by yourself? I would like to have a word with my son," my dad spoke to Charlie without ever turning his eyes away from me.

Charlie seemed like he wanted to stay, probably to talk to me about Bella, since they were telling him that she was "sick" and that he couldn't see her, but He didn't object. "Okay, Billy. I'll be back soon. Take care, Jake," Charlie still seemed pretty damn shell-shocked.

I nodded. "Later, Charlie," I replied. Charlie headed back to the cruiser and then it was just my dad and me. I couldn't meet his eyes. I knew that he knew that I'd begun my own pack. I just didn't know if he was disappointed in me. This sucked.

"Why don't you wheel me inside, son?" my dad suggested, shifting in his wheelchair. I obeyed, walking up behind him and grabbing the handlebars. I slowly pushed him inside the house that I'd grown in my whole life. A house that I no longer lived in because I was no longer welcomed in it. At least that's what I thought. I pushed my dad into the living room, like I always did, and then went to sit on the couch. My dad went right to business.

"How have you been, Jake? How is Bella?"

I sighed. "Well… I've been okay. I want you to know that I'm taking care of Leah and Seth, I have their backs and they have mine. Tell Sue that. I don't want her thinking that they're suffering or something. And Bella's actually awesome, dad. She, ah… don't take this the wrong way, dad, just hear me out. Bella's gonna have a baby with the bloodsucker," a quick look at my dad's face confirmed what I thought would be his reaction. He look like he was gonna have an aneurism, so I quickly continued, "Relax, dad. Edward and I managed to convince her not to have it, and I'm pretty sure that she's gonna have it taken out. Everything's great with her. There might even be a possibility of…" I trailed off. I was getting my hopes up. Why would she choose me over Edward? She didn't choose me before, so what made me think she'd choose me now?

My dad frowned and urged me to continue, "There might be a possibility of what, Jake?"

"I sorta told her that if she wanted a baby, maybe we could…. ah, forget it." I was blushing, knowing that I sounded stupid.

My dad was staring at me almost pityingly. "Now, Jake, I don't want you to get your hopes up. She's married to Edward now, and happily. Even if she does get that thing out before it kills her, she'll probably still choose him, as much as I hate to say it. I want you to look for other girls out there; I want to see you happy again. Bella does not deserve your love, Jake," he said, his dark eyes boring into mine steadily.

"Thanks, dad. You're probably right. I just came by to tell you that I'm okay and that Seth and Leah are okay. I gotta go now. I don't want to still be here when Charlie returns. I'll drop by some other time to update you, okay?" I stood up.

Dad smiled, "Just take care, Jake. Be careful around_ them_," he added. And I knew which _them_ he was talking about. The bloodsuckers.

I nodded once. "I will, dad. See you later," I said, already opening the door and jogging out without waiting for him to reply.

***Okay, here's another update. There's gonna be a lot of drama to come :) I hope you like it***


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does

Bella's P.O.V.

The next day was pretty crazy. Jacob came by in the morning to check up on me and to ask whether I was or wasn't losing the baby. When I told him that I was, he was thrilled. He told me that he'd talked with Sam and that everything was okay with the pack. Preparations were made to take the baby out from me the next day. I told everyone that I wanted to be alone for the rest of the day. Edward had carried me up stairs to his room and set me down gently on the bed he'd acquired for me a while ago. As he'd started to leave, I'd placed my hand on his arm, stopping him.

"Edward, you haven't spoken a word since I decided to go along with this. What's wrong?" I'd asked softly.

Edward didn't meet my eyes. "Nothing, Bella. I just want you to know that if you choose to be with Jacob after this, I will be okay. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."

I had nodded slowly. I was beginning to doubt if I really wanted to stay with Edward, and I didn't wanted to lie to him and assure him that I'd stay with him after all.

Now as I lay in bed, I thought hard. I began absentmindedly rubbing my stomach and froze immediately. Despite everything that Edward and Jacob had told me about my baby, I still felt extremely attached to him. I kept seeing that little boy in my dreams, the one with the big green eyes. I still loved him more than anything, but Edward and Jake'd said that the baby was going to be horrible and a bloodsucking demon… so why was I still so caught up with my baby?

I shook my head and pulled the covers over my head, turning over in the bed.

I was asleep before I knew it.

Jacob's P.O.V.

I was so happy that Bella was gonna get that thing out of her. I was sad at seeing her so _depressed_, but it was for her own good. I didn't regret lying to her, now that I thought about it. I went home and talked to my dad a bit. I'd return to the Cullen's tomorrow, the day that Bella was getting it out.

I had noticed that Edward had been quiet throughout my whole visit. I guess that he _was_ a little depressed by the possibility that he could lose Bella to me. Now it seemed very possible. I loved her, and she loved me, even if she loved Edward more. I could give her what she wanted, though. It would be smart of her to accept my offer. I kept repeating that to myself.

"So, dude… are you worried about imprinting on a girl and forgetting Bella?" Quil asked, reaching for the popcorn bowl in my lap and stuffing a fistful of popcorn into his mouth. We were watching some random T.V. show in my house, sitting on the couch.

The question took me by surprise and I blinked over at him. "Well, _that_ was random. No, I'm not. I'm not worried about that if she doesn't choose me. But if she does choose me, then I am. And if she does choose me, then I'll just move us to a place where there are no vamps so that I can begin to age again and don't have to go all werewolf on her. "The little dream seemed so much easier in my mind. But the worst case scenario was that she would choose Edward and he'd turn her into a vampire. Then I would be okay with imprinting. It would make me forget about her so that I would not be wistful for her anymore, and be able to live my life in peace.

Quil raised his eyebrows, "Why wouldn't she choose you? Who would ever choose a vampire over a werewolf? Only a crazy person!" _He _guffawed like a crazy person.

I knew that he was only saying that to make me feel better, and I appreciated it. "Right?" I agreed.

"Yep. So, anyway, did you speak to Billy yesterday?" Quil asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I also spoke to him today, and he seemed pretty happy about the good news with Bella."

"That's awesome. You should check up on your old man more often, Jake."

"I will. I'm glad that he has Charlie to care for him, though," I said, smiling.

"Yep, me too. But your dad still seems sad without you. Just check up on him. Let him know that you're okay once in a while," Quil chewed noisily on popcorn as he spoke.

"Yeah, I might be around more often now, since I cleared things up with Sam yesterday," I reached over and popped a few popcorn pieces into my mouth.

"That's great! Does that mean that you guys are returning to the pack?"Quil asked hopefully.

I shrugged, "I don't know about Leah and Seth, but I'm not. Like I said, I'm not planning on being werewolf much longer. Even if Bella doesn't choose me, I'm still moving to a place with no vampires in it,"

Quil sighed, "Whatever makes you happy, man. Whatever makes you happy," he chuckled.

Edward's P.O.V.

I hunted today. I needed the blood in my system before I could help Carlisle extract the baby from Bella. There would be a lot of blood, and if I didn't hunt, it would be an unbearable ordeal for me.

It hurt to see Bella so sad today, but she'd wanted to be alone, so I'd left her in my room to rest. She needed it, for tomorrow would be a big day for her.

After I returned from hunting, I went upstairs to my room to find my Bella sound asleep, my very own angel. I stood at the threshold for a long time, staring at her. Thinking, _this beautiful girl might not be mine any more_.

Bella' P.O.V.

I hadn't done much that day but sleep, and the only time that I'd woken up was to eat. Then it was lights out for me, and I fell asleep with Edward beside me. I'd somehow ended up in his stone arms, and that was where I slept for the night. I knew that this night might be the last we had together, and I wasn't planning on wasting it away from him.

I woke up the next day, still in Edward's arms. My mood instantly turned into a dreary one.

Today was the day.

*** That was the end of chapter 4! In the next chapter she will get the baby out and you'll know who she chooses. _Please review_! This is my first story and I'm curious to know what you guys think! Thanks :) * **


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does

Bella's P.O.V.

Jacob arrived a few hours later as Carlisle and Edward prepared the operating room, a.k.a. Carlisle's office. I was nervous, and my palms were sweating. Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Jake were all at my side in the living room. Rosalie went to who-knows-where because she couldn't stand it, me having my baby removed. God, not even I could stand it. But Jacob was encouraging me, promising that it'd all be over soon. I was already dressed in a hospital gown, waiting for Edward to come and get me.

"Don't worry Bells; it'll all be over soon. You just relax, alright?" Jacob asked, his dark eyes staring at me seriously.

I shrugged. "Just promise that you'll be there when… _it_ happens," I whispered.

Jacob clenched his jaw. "I promise, honey," he answered sort of forcible after a minute.

I nodded and the swallowed back the lump that had begun forming in my throat.

The Edward appeared at the bottom of the staircase, so very stoic. _Too_ stoic. It reminded me of the time that he'd left me for my 'safety.' "It's time." he came over and took me up in his cold arms and in a few seconds had us up stairs in Carlisle's office. I gasped when I saw that it had been converted into a hospital. I mean, they had everything there; a hospital bed, IVs, a bunch of utensils to operate on a a metal stand, and everything else seen in a hospital room.

Edward lay me down on the hospital bed and suddenly Carlisle stood over me with a needle in his hand. "Alright Bella, I'm going to go ahead and give you a bit of sedatives now. You'll be out for a few hours with these, so you'll be awake long after everything is done," he explained.

I gulped and nodded, offering him my exposed forearm. Carlisle grimaced to me in apology and then inserted the needle in my skin expertly. I felt the slight prick and then fluids were entering my body. Carlisle taped the IV down and then Edward handed him something. It was a anesthesia mask to knock me out quicker. Carlisle accepted it and slipped it over my face. Then they put the fingertip pulse device on my finger and the machine beside the bed reported my beating heart. It was beating at twenty miles per second. I was breathing in rapidly. I looked around and saw that Jacob stood by the door with his arms crossed tightly over his broad chest. He looked pained as he stared at me. When he caught my eyes, he forced a smile to his face and gave me a half hearted thumbs-up. I smiled slightly.

Then a cold hand wrapped around my free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I looked over and saw Edward, looking sad. I squeezed his rock hand back. Then the edges of my vision began t blur and my lids got heavier and heavier. I tried to keep them open.

But I was out within seconds.

Edward's P.O.V.

"Are you ready, son?" Carlisle asked me, his voice sympathetic. He held the scalpel in his hand.

I clenched my jaw, aware of the mutt in the corner of the room. "Yes," I answered softly. Honestly, though, I was not ready. Ii didn't want to cause any pain to Bella. I knew that I was saving her from the monster inside of her, but I was going to have to _open her up_, god damn it.

Carlisle nodded. Then he lifted the Bella's gown to expose her swollen, bruised stomach. I clenched my hands into fists and then flexed them. Then we began the operation.

It was painful to do what I did, but it was necessary. The scalpel couldn't go through her womb; it was as hard as vampire skin. I had to act fast, so I bit through it, ignoring the sweet taste of her blood.

Then the monster was exposed. The moment I saw that _thing _I just wanted to kill it. I reached in and pulled it out, handling it roughly. Carlisle cut the umbilical cord and then I turned the thing toward me, ready to harm it beyond repair. But the moment that I saw its face, it became impossible. Inconceivable.

Because the "thing "looked like an ordinary child, a very beautiful one at that. I gasped.

Jacob's P.O.V.

I couldn't take it. I just couldn't. As soon as they started cutting, I was out of the freaking doors. I knew that I'd promised Bella that I would stay through the whole thing, but she couldn't force me to watch all of that. It was too painful. I went to down stairs and sort of grunted. Then I punched the wall closest to me.

Edward's P.O.V.

It was a boy. He had Bella's beautiful pale creamy pallor and dark red-brown hair that could only be mine. His eyes were open, and I was so astonished at their color, because I hadn't seen it in nearly a century.

They were _my _eyes, a deep green.

The boy looked like a normal newborn baby, maybe just a little older. The strangest thing was that he didn't cry. He just stared at me curiously with his big eyes. I was so surprised that I nearly dropped the warm creature. Then I heard his heart. His actual_ beating_ heart.

Could this baby be _human?_

"Carlisle," I whispered.

"That is… fascinating. He looks just like you,"

"He does? Call Esme. I know that she can handle him," I ordered, already taking off my shirt one-handedly and wrapping it around the child.

Carlisle didn't stop sewing up Bella as he answered, "Edward, you know that she won't be able to kill it, let alone deal with all the blood," he answered.

I looked down at the bloody baby in my arms, "That wasn't what I meant…"

"You can't mean… you want to_ keep_ him? "

"I don't know," I growled, frustrated. Then I sped downstairs to the living room where Esme, Alice, Emmet, Jasper, and apparently Jacob sat.

"Esme, can I have a word with you?" I spoke in a clipped tone.

Every single vampire in the room stiffened at the smell of blood. Jacob turned to look at me. When he saw the child in my arms, he became livid. I read every single of his hate-filled thoughts. Then I realized that he wasn't mad at _me_ he was mad at the baby. He still thought that I was going to kill it.

Esme nodded and was at my side in a second. She knew that I wanted to talk privately, so we ran outside and deep into the woods where they could no longer hear us.

"Edward, what's wrong? May I see…?" she reached for the baby in my arms. I read her mind and I knew she'd be able to handle the strong, delicious scent of blood. I handed him over to her.

She gasped as she saw him and caressed his little cheeks. "Oh, Edward, he's beautiful. Maybe you don't have to kill him," I could tell that she was instantly in love with the baby.

"That's what I wanted to discuss with you-"

"Edward! Give him to me!" Rosalie was suddenly in front of us, beyond angry.

"Shhh, Rosalie. We're not going to kill him .In fact, I need your help," I said urgently.

Then I told them the plan that I'd formed in a matter of minutes

***End of Chapter 5! I hope you guys liked it! Please leave your comments. There's more to come :)***


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does

Bella's P.O.V.

When I woke up, I was extremely tired and numb all over. I pried my heavy lids open and my vision was blurry. Frowning, I attempted to sit up—

Only to have two large, dark russet-colored hands push me back down. "Calm down, Bells, you need to rest. Are you hungry—? "

"Where am I?" I gasped out, looking around myself, still sleep dazed. I recognized where I was—it was as familiar to me as my own home.

The only problem was that it wasn't the Cullen's house. I started panicking.

"Shh, Bells. You're in my house. I would've taken you to my room, but you know, it's small… so we have to settle for the best bet, which is my living room, "Jake answered sheepishly.

"Jake, why am I in your house!? The last thing I can remember is being knocked out right before they began the operation… where's Edward, Jacob?" I blabbered, now feeling a slight throb in my abdominal area. I also felt cold, although I had an old, woodsy smelling afghan covering most of my body.

Jake looked uncomfortable instantly. "Bella… the Cullen family is gone. They left right after they… operated you. And this time it's permanent," Jacob swallowed.

I gasped and my vision went blurry with hot tears. "When? When did they leave, Jacob?" My voice was half-strangled when I spoke.  
Jacob looked away from me as he knelt beside me. I noticed that he, too, looked tired and worn out. His dark hair was rustled and messy, sticking up. His dark eyes had circles under them, and his mouth was a thin line of worry. "Like I said, right after they operated you… which was about a week ago."

"I've been out for a whole week!?" I shrieked, my tears spilling over and rolling down my cheeks in hot trails. In an instant I was in Jacob's bog, strong arms, pressed tightly to his chest. I ignored the pain in my abdomen and placed my head on his broad chest, openly weeping now.

"I know, Bella. I know it hurts. I promise I'll be there every step of the way, though. I'm still your best friend, remember?" His voice was muffled by my hair.

I didn't answer, just kept crying. Jacob let me, hugging me tightly to his body. His musky scent filled my nose, comforting me and eventually making me relax. When I was able to speak again, I asked," What did he say, Jacob? Tell me everything that coward said," I was angry. I couldn't believe Edward had done it_ again_. He'd promised me that he wouldn't ever leave me again. The truth hit me hard. Edward Cullen was a coward. He was a true coward.

Jacob cleared his throat and pulled back to look me in the eye. " Um, actually, Bella, he kinda left you a note," he answered sadly. Then he was pushing a very crumpled piece of paper in my hand, his big fingers wrapping around my relatively small ones. My eyes widened with disbelief. At least last time he'd had the balls to tell me that he was leaving me to my face. Now he thought he could do it in a letter?

Unbelievable.

I took the paper. Jacob shifted off and sat at my feet once again. He helped me sit up and freaked out when I gasped in pain. When I told him that it was my stomach, he immediately stood up and went to his medicine cabinet for some Advil. While he was gone, I unfolded the paper. It was so crumpled; looking suspiciously like someone had squeezed it in his fist. I shook my head softly and began reading.

_Dear Bella,_

_ I am sorry to have left you on such short notice, but I pose too much a threat to you. I apologize for all the harm that I have done to you and your family._

_I shouldn't have ever returned. This time I will be gone forever. I promise – no I _swear_ that you will never see me or my family again, Bella. It is for your own good, and perhaps mine, too. I became too infatuated with you and it has hurt many people. I am not saying that I regret it, though._

_Have a beautiful, blessed life, Isabella Marie Swan._

_I will love you always…_

_-Edward Cullen_

I choked up and furiously swiped at the tears that trailed down my cheeks. So he thought he was doing a noble thing for me, leaving me. And even though he said that he didn't regret falling in love with me, I could tell he did.

_I became too infatuated with you and it has hurt many people._

And in that moment, I swore to myself that I would recuperate from this had blow. I remembered the words he'd spoken to me when he'd left me last time.

_"It will be as if I never existed"_

And I would make sure of that.

Jacob's P.O.V.

"Bella?" I called to her as she sat on the couch with a cold expression full of hate. I nearly tripped over my own feet as I saw it. It was just so unlike her.

But, of course, I had to comprehend that she'd just had the cruelest thing happen to her. _And I agreed to it, _I thought. And I had. Edward had told us his plan to leave her right after he returned with Esme, Rosalie in tow.

I'd been pretty surprised to see that he still held that little bloodsucking beast in his arms.

"May I speak to all of you?" He'd asked formally.

We'd all simply sat there as confirmation. It'd been Emmet, Jasper, Alice, Dr. Cullen and I.

Then he'd basically told his family that they had to leave for Bella's safety, to sell their house as soon as possible. He hadn't allowed anyone to object. Then he'd stated the most absurd thing that made Jacob hate him much more than he'd ever hated him.

"I've decided to keep the baby," had been his exact words.

I had been furious and stalked out of the room to inform my pack of two. I'd left them to do their plans. The pack had been outraged as well, but glad that the Cullens were gonna leave. When I had returned the next day, they'd asked me to take Bella—she was okay to leave already. I agreed, and I'd grudgingly accepted the paper that Edward gave me. I think I basically crumpled it into a ball after he gave it to me. Then I felt guilty, smoothed it out, and roughly shoved it into the pockets in my sweats.

I'd brought Bella over to my house that same day. And the Cullens were gone instantly, their house up for sale. They'd take_ it_ with them to.

I coughed slightly, back in the present. "Bella? I have your painkillers," I mumbled awkwardly and went to stand in front of her. I handed her the glass of water and the small pill of the small container that Carlisle had given to me. It was supposed to make her pains go away and make her drowsy.

She took the pill in her small, nimble fingers and gave me the most beautiful angelic smile I'd ever seen. She never failed to make me breathless.

_And now she's all mine_, I thought selfishly.

"Thanks, Jake. I don't know what I'd do without you," she said softly. Then she placed the pill in her mouth and took a gulp of water to wash it down. I made her lay back down and told her to rest more.

Then I watched the beautiful girl fall back asleep.

I swore to myself that I would mend her heart until there were only scars to prove that the bastard had ever existed.

***Sorry that I haven't updated in a long time... .-.***


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does

Edward's P.O.V.

"Hi, Tanya… I have a favor to ask of you," were the first words that I uttered into the phone as I called Tanya and her coven.

"Edward! God, I haven't talked to you in a long time! Whatever it is, tell me," chimed her musical voice in my ear excitedly.

I sighed and shifted the baby in my arms; now clean, thanks to Rosalie. He was wrapped tightly in a warm blanket, also thanks to Rosalie. We were in my Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, speeding towards Seattle where a flight to Denali, Alaska awaited us. Japer was driving, and Alice was in the passenger seat, holding his hand. I sat in the back with Rosalie. Emmet had stayed behind to arrange a few more things and Esme and Carlisle had chosen to move to L.A. for a while, live alone for some time. I couldn't blame them, though. I could understand why they wanted a bit of time to themselves, away from all the mayhem that I always seemed to cause.

"Well… there has been an unseen problem," I answered in a low voice.

I could practically hear the frown in Tanya's voice when she spoke, "But everything was fine when we left your family after the wedding. Edward, what's wrong? Is your Bella okay? God, you didn't—"

"No, Tanya! Of course not. But I must admit that something did occur that was out of line. See… you are not going to believe this, but Bella and I… we_ created_ a child," I sounded pleading. I looked down at the face of the sleeping baby in my arms_. My son. He's my son. _I just wished that Bella could've seen him at least once… no. That would have not been good for her.

Tanya was quiet for a long time. I feared that she would hang up on me without another word, but thankfully, she spoke, "Edward… that is not possible. What do you mean 'created'? Wait a second… by create do you mean _turned_?" she asked, horrified.

"No, Tanya! No, as in we _made_. He is my biological son and hers. We made love and she found herself pregnant only a few weeks later. She progressed quickly and gave birth in only a few months. He seems almost human, though he has grown _extremely_ quickly, Tanya. I swear that he isn't fully a vampire. He has a heartbeat and blood pumping through his veins. He is not cold; he is very warm, as warm as a werewolf. Please believe me," I pleaded.

Tanya was silent for a moment. Then, "Edward… I have to see your son to believe it. Right now I am very skeptical, do you understand?"

I passed the baby to a too-eager Rosalie and then answered her, "I know, Tanya. I do understand. That's where the favor comes in…see, my family and I have moved out of Forks. Esme and Carlisle have chosen to reside in Los Angeles while the rest of us move to Denali. Do you think that we could…"

"Join our coven? Say no more, Edward. All of you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you'd like. But what of your Bella?"

I clenched my hands into fists and gritted my teeth. "She and I are together no longer," I answered coldly.

Tanya was definitely surprised. "Oh, Edward, I am so very sorry for you! You two were such a great couple," however, contradictory to her words, she sounded excited. I knew that she still harbored feelings for me. Feelings that I would never be able to reciprocate.

"Yes, well, thank you. We are on our way to the airport right now. I must go. I will see you tomorrow, and when you see my son, you will believe me. Please inform the rest of the coven of this, Tanya. My brothers send their regards," I said in way of a goodbye.

Tanya gave a musical chuckle, "I will, dear Edward. And tell them thank you. I cannot wait to see you. All of you, of course," this time she purred the words in a very coy and flirty manner.

I sighed softly, "Farewell, Tanya," I said and then pressed the END button.

Rosalie was stroking the baby's cheeks when I turned to her, her face filled with unmistakable love. As was her mind, of course. "What will you name him?" Rosalie asked me softly, so as not to wake the child.

The question caught me off guard and I thought it through. "I'm not sure…" I answered honestly. What _could _I name him?

Rosalie waggled her eyebrows playfully at me. Apparently I was on her good side, since I'd decided to keep the baby. "Bella always wanted him to be named 'Edward Jacob' or E.J. for short. I never thought that she was very creative," she scoffed acidly.

My mind filled with painful thoughts at her name. I wished that I could just forget her, but my vampire mind said otherwise. "I don't know, Rosalie…" I answered honestly.

Her mind instantly swirled with possibilities. "How about Eli E.J. Cullen? Eli would honor your mother's name, Edward. And Bella wanted E.J.… It would be fitting."

I thought about it. And it was fitting. We could call him Isaac whenever we wanted. "Yes, Rose, it is fitting. Eli E.J. Cullen. I like it," and for the first time in a week, I smiled.

"It is, Edward! Rose, hand him to me. I want to carry my nephew Eli," exclaimed Alice form the front seat.

Rosalie reluctantly passed my son to Alice, who eagerly took him in her arms.

I rolled my eyes at them, instantly in a better mood.

Bella's P.O.V.

I woke up a few hours later with Jacob still beside me, sitting on the hard floor while I lay on the comfortable, warm couch. He was sleeping, snoring softly. Poor Jake.

His face was inches from mine, his warm breath warming my face. I blushed and tried to put a few inches of space between us unsuccessfully. I took in his tired face. I'd always known that my friend was handsome, but he seemed even more handsome now. Was it because Edward was gone and I no longer had to look at his unearthly beautiful face?

I shut my thoughts off and tried to sit up again. My abdomen hurt too much and I fell back down, waking Jacob as I jostled the couch, where his face rested. He sprang up to his feet in an instant, all protective and fierce.

I laughed. "Chill, Jake. It's just me. I was trying to sit up, but my stomach hurts an awful lot,"

Jake relaxed, "Well you just had a monster baby removed, so that's typical." When he realized what he'd just said, he blushed and sealed his lips together.

That one hurt, but I played it down, although I was so upset over losing my baby. "Hey, it's true, though," I laughed weakly.

Jacob shook his head. "No, Bells, that was completely out of line, and I am so, so, _so _sorry. I am such a freaking blabbermouth—"

Then we both heard that horrible, unmistakable sound; my stomach growling.

"Shit! I totally forgot about that. I'll get you some food in a sec," then he was off to the kitchen, gone in seconds.

I giggled and lay back down, shivering. Why was I still so cold?

Jacob returned a few minutes later with a pizza hot pocket. The smell of melted cheese, pepperoni, and oregano wafted from the kitchen. He had it on a plate and handed it to me a bit sheepishly.

"Sorry, that's all Billy has," he apologized.

"No worries," I took the plate from him and instantly pressed my fingers to the steaming hot pocket. Jacob frowned when I shivered.

"You cold?" he asked.

I nodded. In an instant, he lifted me in his strong arms bride-style, and I squealed. "I've gotta be careful with you. Dr. Cullen said that your wound can still open, and it won't heal until a few weeks," he said simply and then plopped down on the couch with me still in his arms. I was instantly warm, my body pressed to his and his arms around me.

For some reason, my heart sped up.

***That was chapter 7! I hope you enjoyed it :) I'll be updating soon.***


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does

Bella's P.O.V.

I spent most of the day watching movies with Jake. It was just like the old times. Jake was always the one to help me through rough times. He always there for me, and I was grateful to have such a great friend like him.

We fell asleep together on the couch, I was in Jake's arms and he had his head resting on my shoulder. It was probably the most comfortable nap I'd ever had.

I woke up later that night, still in Jake's arms. I started crying silently. I couldn't believe so much had happened to me that day. I mean, I never even imagined that Edward would leave me. I was naïve enough to think that he would stay with me after I got the baby removed. I thought we'd stay married and he'd change me into a vampire… but I'd also kind of hoped he wouldn't. I had never thought that I'd want a baby _so much_. I just hoped that I could forget him this time, start a normal, human life. The life that I was meant to live.

As if sensing my tears, Jake's arms tightened around me protectively as he slept.

Edward's P.O.V.

We arrived at Denali only a few hours after boarding the private helicopter in Seattle. The Denali sisters were waiting for us, along with Eleazar and Carmen. They immediately sought out my son, and when they saw me holding the tiny bundle in my arms protectively, they all surrounded me in an instant.

"Is it true? He is your _hijo biológico_?" Carmen asked, astonished.

I nodded stiffly. "Yes, he is," I answered as Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper flanked me, wary of all the vampires intent on knowing Eli.

"Calm down, my family. I would like to speak to Edward alone as the coven leader," Tanya pushed through the other four vampires easily. The other vampires scampered off to get the car, giving me apologetic glances. I nodded at my siblings, and they quickly followed Tanya's coven, leaving me and Tanya alone.

Tanya smiled up at me, her pretty, pale face lighting up. "I can hear his heartbeat, pounding as fast as the wings of a bird," her eyes widened with wonder. I knew that she was thinking that the idea of Eli being a full vampire was impossible now.

I nodded, now hopeful. "Yes, I told you that he has a heartbeat, though it is very abnormal. He also eats mortal food. We've been feeding him baby formulas all this week and he has stomached them like any normal baby, although he sometimes seems disgusted by them. We've fed him blood, as well… he seems to prefer that, but he is not a full vampire. That I can assure you. He was born before he was due, but he seems healthy as a human newborn. He does seem a bit weak, though. He has slept for most of the week. It is a rare moment when he opens his eyes," I explained, the words tumbling out of my mouth in a matter of seconds.

Tanya's golden eyes flickered to the small bundle in my arms excitedly. I knew the words she was about to speak before she said them, "Might I hold him, my dear friend?"

I hesitated for only a second, but I trusted Tanya. "Yes," I said and then I carefully placed a sleeping Eli in her arms.

She held him as if he was the most delicate thing she'd ever seen and looked at him with an expression full of awe and incredulity. "He is so beautiful," she marveled. "Beautiful as his father," her golden eyes moved from his face and up to mine.

I blinked, taken a back. I didn't say anything because I had nothing to say. As if she realized what she just said, she looked down instantly.

"Beautiful as the vampire side that he inherited from you, of course," she feebly corrected herself, but her thoughts said otherwise. "Edward, I believe you. This boy is your biological son,"

I nodded and then looked at Eli. On the contrary, I wished that he looked more like Bella. I wished for him to have her soft, chocolate brown eyes and delicate features. Oh, how I missed her. And the worst part was the knowledge that I would never, ever see her again.

Jacob's P.O.V.

I woke up the next day with Bella still in my arms. I looked down at her pretty face and stroked her hair back from her face. She still looked too skinny. Her cheeks, which were usually plump and rosy, were now sunken and pale, as was her mouth. I would have to go shopping for groceries today, since all my old man seemed to have was crappy frozen foods.

Where was he, anyway? Drowsily, I looked around the eerily quiet living room and saw that it was vacant. Carefully, I unwound my arms from around Bella and set her head down on the pillow, pulling the thick blanket around her. She moaned and mumbled something and then went back to sleep. It was weird, because she hadn't spoken a word last night, and she was a heavy sleep talker.

I tiptoed toward the kitchen and found it empty, too. I went to his room and found him sleeping there, snoring slightly. Relieved, I decided to go shopping for groceries quickly before Bella woke up. I grabbed the keys to my Rabbit off the counter and then jogged outside.

As usual, it was a rainy day. It was real quiet outside, since it was barely 7 am and all the Rez kids were probably still snoring away. I chuckled and then got in my car.

Bella's P.O.V.

When I woke up, Jake was gone and I felt empty, somehow, without his arms around me. I tried to sit up, and this time it was easier for me. "Jacob?" I called out wearily.

No answer.

I sighed and swung my legs over the couch and began to sit up—

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Jacob put me under strict orders to keep you from standing or doing any other crazy, rebellious things," Quil spoke from behind me, and I jumped, startled.

I turned to look back and saw that he stood, chewing some type of chip. "Quil! You scared me!"

"So-rry. I was just sleeping and then I get this crazy call from my very favorite Jacob Black telling me he's gonna go grocery shopping like some kind of grandma for you, and that I have to come over to his house and babysit his girlfriend," Quil laughed at my expression and then popped another chip into his mouth, chewing loudly. His hair was ruffled, and he _did_ look like he'd just woken up. I felt bad that Jacob had waked him up just so that he could have someone to watch over m, but I was also touched. Jacob had token his time and money to go get food for me, and that he'd even had someone come watch me.

"Right, well, um… I'm sorry he woke you up just so you could come babysit someone as boring as me," I grinned awkwardly. Did he know about the whole issue with the baby? Did he know that Edward had left me once again? This was so humiliating.

Well, if he did, he didn't show it. "Well, I'm not. Jake has great TV reception," He laughed, and then walked around the couch so that he faced me. "Make some room for me, Bells. You're taking up the entire couch," he teased. I moved my legs and sat up, leaving him the other half of the couch. He plopped down, picked up the remote control from the coffee table, and then turned the T.V. on. Then I remembered that Quil spent more time channel surfing than watching actual T.V.

Well, this would be a long, long day.

Edward's P.O.V.

"So you're telling me that your son is growing at a very rapid rate?" Eleazar asked me as Tanya drove their very sensible car toward their large house which was only a few minutes away now.

I nodded. "Yes, he is, and according to Carlisle's calculations, if this rate continues, two months for Eli are like a year. In only 7 years, he will be almost as old as his own mother is at this moment," I explained dreadfully.

Eleazar gasped. "So he will… be old very soon. What do you plan to do?"

Alice answered for me. "Jasper and I plan to travel the world in search for others like Eli and find answers. We must also be prepared for a visit from The Vulturi. We must have a good enough alibi to explain Eli," she said, leaning forward. She and Jasper sat in the backseat while Rose and I sat in the one in front along with Carmen and Eleazar.

"Whatever the result is, Edward, we will be with you every step of the way. We already failed to help you fight the newborn army. We will not fail our friends again," spoke Tanya from the driver's seat.

"Thank you, Tanya," I said and then returned to the conversation at hand. "Yes, well, we hope that is not the case. I would like for Eli to have a long life,"

Carmen looked at me sympathetically. "And what are Bella's thoughts on all of this?" she asked patiently.

Hearing her name was like a stab through my cold stone heart. I looked away from Carmen and down to my hands. "She and I are no longer together. She doesn't know about Eli," I explained in a monotone. Rosalie's hand slipped into mine comfortingly.

Carmen gasped. "But you two were just married! How is it possible that she does not know about her own_ hijo_?"

"We took it out of her before she could give birth to him. She thinks we killed him," I answered coldly.

They were silent for the rest of the ride.

***End of Chapter 8. I have a bit of writer's block, but I'm working through it :) I'll try updating as much as I can.***


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does

Bella's P.O.V.

I spent the next few weeks just hanging out at Jake's house. The hard part was telling Charlie about my divorce with Edward. It was painful, since Charlie still thought that I'd been sick with some horrible rare disease. When I told him, he went completely ballistic on me.

"What did that boy do to you? What did he do?" he'd practically screamed at me, his face turning a thousand different shades of red, blue and purple.

Jacob had explained thoroughly to Charlie that Edward had done nothing to me, although he seemed very reluctant to say so. He explained that after I'd recovered from my illness, we'd discovered that we weren't meant to be together and that we got into a heated argument that resulted in an agreement of divorce. Jacob explained that the Cullens decided they weren't returning to Forks and that they were moving to another state. He told Charlie that they had their house up for sale, and that was true. The town didn't know about our break up, thank God.

Charlie was_ extremely _angry. He spent about an hour chastising me about how he knew that Edward was bad for me, and that he'd told me to not forgive him after the first time he left me. It was painful. With every mention of Edward, it was like the hole that had formed in my chest when he first left me opened up a little more. I missed him so much, and I hoped that he would return, regretful. I knew that he was doing it to protect me, but I couldn't help but feel angry and frustrated at him for leaving me again, after he'd promised me he wouldn't.

And it was that promise that fueled me to keep my faith in _him_, to keep _believing_ that he'd return to me after all those weeks that were passing.

Edward's P.O.V.

Every day that passed made me miss her more and more. It was painful. If I didn't watch myself, I knew that I'd end up the same way as before, crumpled and unable to do anything. I needed to stay strong for our son, and thanks to him, I was able to pull through all my tragic pain and guilt.

It was now three weeks since I'd left her, since I'd done the hardest thing ever. Eli was now one month old. He was born on August 29th, and it was already October first. Eli was growing rapidly. He looked like a healthy 8-month-old. I could read his mind and see that he understood everything incredibly well. He never failed to surprise me.

But the most surprising moment was when we learned of his gift a few weeks ago.

We'd all been in the living room, and I had been feeding Eli a bottle of milk. We were trying not to feed him too much blood, but it was what he preferred. Eli had looked up at me with curious green eyes and then he'd reached up and placed his little chubby hand on my cheek. I'd been startled to have a vision of Bella. The vision was right after I'd taken Eli out of her. Carlisle was sowing her up and she looked peacefully asleep. I'd flinched, causing Eli's hand to fall from my face. The vision had ended abruptly. The others had stared at me strangely. That was when I realized that it was Eli's gift; he could show us his thoughts by touching us, the exact opposite of me. I could read other people's minds. Eli had shown the others as well. It was his way of asking where his mother was. It was painful, every time that he showed the only memory of Bella to me in the weeks to come.

Bella was all that he could think of.

Bella was all that _I_ could think of.

Jacob's P.O.V.

Bella was going to attend college as soon as she was ready. She said she'd probably start off with online classes and go from there. Meanwhile, she came over to my house and we hung out like old times. I was back to being her best friend, her shoulder to lean on.

Was that good?

We sometimes went out to town. I took her to Seattle a few days ago, and we had a blast. I could really see her getting healthier. There was now color in her cheeks, she was finally gaining weight and didn't look as skinny as before. She was almost back to her normal self. She even laughed sometimes. She was slowly recuperating. I had once accidentally seen her scarred stomach when she'd stretched and her shirt had moved up. We'd both cringed. It was a pink line that started from her belly button and ended god-knows-where. She never mentioned it, but I knew she was very self-conscious about it.

Today I decided to take her to Port Angeles. She agreed to go, since it was a Saturday and she didn't really have anything to do. I went to pick her up from Charlie's in the Rabbit around 10 am. She looked beautiful as she ran through the drizzle toward the rabbit. She wore a big winter jacket, but I liked it. Her hair was really getting long. It was down to her hips now, but it suited her. It was wavy, and it made me want to run my fingers through it—

I made myself stop there.

Bella got in and gave me the huge grin I loved so much. I grinned back.

"Step on it, my friend," she teased. I did.

Things were really different with the packs now that the Cullens were gone and there were no leeches in Forks. My pack that still consisted of Seth, Leah, and me was really inconsistent now. We were definitely changing _individually_. Now that we didn't have the vamps to trigger our changes, we weren't really changing. It was way easier to resist it. As more time passed, that side of us began to fade more and more. I could finally let my hair grow out the way it used to be. It had been to my chin before. Now it was nearly to my shoulders. I think Bella liked it better that way.

"So what are we doing today?" she asked me, her chocolate brown eyes gleaming a light caramel in the pale light of the clouds.

"Well how about we go out, see a cool movie and then enjoy a nice dinner?" I asked. I don't know if she could hear the nervous edge in my voice. This was the closest to a date with her as I was able to get.

Bella grinned, to my relief. "That sounds great, Jake. We should have brought the other guys with us, too,"

My heart sank. Okay, so she was obviously not viewing this as a romantic thing.

Awesome.

Bella's P.O.V.

I turned on the radio of the Rabbit and put it to a nice alt rock station. A song of Muse was currently playing, and I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes. This was nice. It was cool of Jake to take me out, even though it was obvious that I was weighing him down. He should be out with his friends; he should be going out with a girl. Embarrassingly so, the thought of him dating another girl made me a little uncomfortable. I shook my head at my own stupidity.

I was taking online courses, trying to be normal for Charlie's sake. I also knew that I deserved to be happy. It was easier than last time. I was more prepared for Edward's departing. I'd already experienced this one time, and I knew I could deal with it. I just didn't know if I would ever forget him. I was still completely in love with him, and with every passing day, I became a little more heartbroken. What made it easier was my family's support and Jake's. I hoped it would get better with time, but I seriously doubted it. The huge scar across my stomach only made it worse. Every time that I saw it, I instantly thought of them. I missed Alice, I missed Esme, Emmet, Carlisle, Rosalie… and_ him_.

I was always wondering what he was doing, where he was living. Was he thinking of me, too?

Jake's eyes moved from the road and to my face. He gave me a funny look. "What?" I asked him, frowning. He'd broken me out of my reverie.

Jake chuckled and reached over to hold my hand, which was in my lap. I froze up instantly. "You are amazing, you know, Bells," Jacob said as he intertwined his fingers with mine. I couldn't really complain about him holding my hand. 2 years ago, when Jacob and I had been building the motorcycles, holding his hand had brought a sense of comfort to me, and it still did. I knew it meant something different to him, though. I didn't pull away from his hand, though.

I noticed that his skin felt cooler than usual. He'd told me that his wolf side was beginning to fade. So did that mean that Jake was going back to normal, the way he'd been before he became a werewolf? I really missed my friend, and I could start to see little changes in Jake. He looked skinnier, less bulky. He joked a lot more. He didn't pull away from me anymore. He was going back to _my_ Jacob, the Jacob that wasn't bitter and rude.

"Thanks, but you're even more amazing," I mumbled, looking down. I was astonished to feel my cheeks warm up. I was blushing for the first time in what seemed like years.

Jake laughed, shook his head, and then squeezed my hand.

We arrived at Port Angeles less than two hours later. Jake pulled up to a local Cinema and we climbed out of the Rabbit. I shivered and pulled my jacket tighter around myself. As Jake and I walked toward the bright building, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side. I felt strangely comfortable there and didn't pull away.

We decided to watch a comedy. I had been about to suggest an action movie that had a lot of bloody scenes teasingly, remembering how Jacob, Mike Newton and I had gone to see a similar movie 2 years ago, but Jake immediately stopped me there.

"No, Bella. We all know how that turned out last time," he chuckled.

We sobered, remembering that he'd gotten "sick" that night. That was the night that he'd officially began his transition from man to wolf. And that was also the night that he'd actually confessed his feelings toward me, sorta. I'd turned him down and felt horrible about it.

Jake bought our tickets, and I complained about him paying, but he didn't let me so much as pull a dollar out of my pocket. Then he bought a big popcorn bag for the two of us and two sodas. We headed into the room where our movie would be playing and found two seats unoccupied way in the back. The lights were out, and it was noisy in the cinema, since it was nearly full. Jake and I took our seats and then waited for the movie to begin. It started a few minutes later.

Throughout the movie, Jake and I pretty much laughed our asses off. We weren't the only ones, but we were probably the loudest, much to everyone's dismay. Midway through the movie, though, Jake took my hand in his and we quieted down instantly. I blushed when he did and this time did pull my hand away. He let me.

We were silent for the rest of the movie.

Edward's P.O.V.

Today was the first day that I took Eli out. I took him out to the town in his baby carriage, and he enjoyed himself quite a bit. I couldn't help but notice what a beautiful baby I had. As I looked down at his round baby face, I noticed that he _did_ look like her. I knew that when he grew up, it would be more noticeable.

Alice, Japer, Rosalie, and the Denali sisters accompanied us while Carmen and Eleazar went hunting. Eli had certainly grown on them all. I could see the love my family gave him most of all. I knew that Eli cared a lot about them, too. But my son very much wanted to meet the woman that carried him for less than a month.

He was very stubborn and kept insisting through his little talent.

It hurt to know that I'd never be able to grant him his wish.

Jacob's P.O.V.

After the movie, I drove Bella to a nice Chinese restaurant, as promised. She seemed very content, and that pleased me. She ate well, too. I loved looking at her across the table secretly when she wasn't looking. It was friggin' awesome to know that now there was no Edward to interrupt us, although I knew that he was still in her mind a lot. But like I'd said before, I could be incredibly persistent. Now that I had her again, I wasn't letting her go. Nope, I was holding onto her with a death grip.

We headed back to Forks after dinner. As I dropped a very buoyant Bella off, I considered giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, but then thought better of it. It was too early and she wouldn't like it. So I just grinned at her, and then she out of the car and jogging toward her door through the rain. As I made sure she got there safe, I spotted a slight movement by the window of her house. Charlie could be a little over protective sometimes.

I went home with a big smile slapped onto my face.

***Okay, this chapter is pretty messy. I wrote it two weeks ago, (Been holding out on you guys, sorry!), and I was supposed to add some details, but I forgot what those details were, so... I don't know, it might be missing a few things. Thanks to all of those who are actually reading my story. I appreciate it. I might not be updating so, since I'm working on seven other stories and started a very recent one that got erased in my tablet. I'm going to have to write it all over again. Yay for me :(***


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